Peace Keeping

Have you ever tried reasoning with a cat? I have, and it's not a pretty sight.  You can usually get farther trying to reason with a rock. We still seem to be experiencing a failure to communicate, interspecies style. Or perhaps there is communicating going on but certain parties are unwilling to make any concessions.

There are three cats in Dieter's life--Tarquin, Mimsy, and Rory. They were here long before he set paw in his new home, and they aren't about to let him forget about it. They do have experience with dogs, and German Shepherds in particular. My friend's old Shepherd, Roy, was a regular fixture at our house, much to the cats' dismay. Roy wasn't so sure about those furry things with the pointy sticks on the ends of their paws, either. Ouch!

Mimsy in front, Tarquin, the black cat, and Rory.

Tarquin is the ringleader. Mimsy is his sister (not a littermate), and Rory is her son. They were all feral cats from our old neighborhood. Tarquin is tame and happy to be a pampered  house cat. The others are willing to be pampered, but aren't as sure about trusting the humans in their lives.

Tarquin likes to hang out with us--even when Dieter is "on the loose." However, when Dieter tries to initiate play with Tarquin, the tide turns. A 50-pound leaping maniac is too much for Tarquin. He hisses. And hisses. And hisses.

Now the dog barks when the cat hisses. And so on and so on. Mimsy just runs away--often trying to escape so fast that she can't get any traction on the floor. Rory puffs up like some four-legged poisonous pufferfish, hisses, and growls menacingly. He does so from the safety of the other side of the gate that Dieter can no longer squeeze through. Tough guy Rory. If Tarquin happens to be around during these exchanges, he and Rory then start hissing and growling at each other. The dog just seems confused. And I tear my hair.

This brings me to reasoning with cats. I just held a conflab with the three cats, informing them they must stop the bad language and to stop getting angry with each other. I also told them that the dog now lives here and that they must all get along. "What did I just say, Tarquin?"

"That I must stop hissing and talking trash to the dog."

"Rory?"

"Stop hissing. No growling. And be nice."

I know I heard some muffled cat giggling as I left the room, so it's another work in progress.